Tank flush valve-ball type



Jan. 26, 1937.

W. C. GROENIGER TANK FLUSH VALVE-BALL TYPE Filed July 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WiHiam C. Groeniger 11% ATTORNEY.

Jan. 26, 1937. I w. c. GROENIGER 2,063,672

TANK FLUSH VALVE-BALL TYPE Filed July 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W") l M INVENTOR. Wi l l iam C. Groeniger BY F ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to John B. Pierce Foundation,

New York, N. Y.,

a corporation of New York Application July 5, 1935, Serial No. 29,905

2 Claims.

tank valve.

My present invention is a controlling valve for a flush tank for a defecator and particularly,

the invention relates to a controlling valve of the ball type for a flush tank.

An object of my invention therefore is an improved tank flush valve.

An object of my invention is an improved tank flush valve of the ball type.

In the accompanying drawings;

Fig. l is a central sectional side elevation of a defecator to which flushing fluid is supplied from a flush tank and in which my present invention is interposed between the defecator and the flush tank;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the flush tank and controlling valve shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, l9 designates a defecator secured in proper position on a wall it or other supporting structure and connected by the goose neck l2 to a soil pipe or other outlet (not shown). The defecator if when in use has a body of water l3 contained therein whichmakes a water seal to prevent noxious gases from passing through the goose neck 12, through the defecator l0 and into the room in which the defecator I0 is located.

Water is supplied to the defecator In from any suitable source as, for example, a flush tank It, in which is located a. body of water l5, suflicient in amount to properly flush the defecator l0, and which amount is replaced, after emptying the flush tank l4, in the usual manner from a source of supply controlled by a ball and lever control valve. Such ball and lever control valve for replenishing of water [5 in the flush tank II- is not shown as it forms no part of the present invention, and is the usual type of automatic water control device utilized for this purpose. The flush tank It is set high enough above the level of the body of water l3 in the defecator Ill to insure a sumciently rapid flow of water into the defecator III to satisfactorily flush the same.

The connection between the flush tank It and defecator i0 is by means of pipe 16 and nipple l! which have associated therewith the usual resilient washers for the purpose of making a water-tight joint, such being the usual construction. The intermediate portion of the pipe is is provided with a shoulder 18 and which abuts against the inner surface of the flush tank l4 and surrounds the orifice through which passes the pipe IS. A threaded nut I9 is employed for the purpose of making a satisfactory water tight joint between the pipe l6 and fiush' tank Id. The flush tank It is, as stated above, of any desired capacity and is ordinarily provided with a removable cover 20.

The inner end of the pipe is enlarged as indicated by the numeral 2| and such enlarged portion is provided with a valve seat 22 and on and in which seats a ball valve 23. Preferably the ball valve 23 is made of resilient material such as rubber and is hollow and therefore will float and Will tend to rise to the top of the water l5 within the tank It.

Extending laterally outward from the pipe l6 between the flange l8 and enlargement 2| is a member 2% which is internally threaded to receive the lower threaded end of a length of tubing 25 long enough to extend above the ordinary level of the body of water l5 within the tank I4, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Secured in the member 24, or to the lower end of the tubing 25, is a member 26 provided with a perforation 27 lying in the axis of the length of tubing 25. Adjustably secured to the top of the length of tubing 25 is a ring 28 which has formed integral therewith at its top end a cross bar 29. In the cross bar 29 is a vertical perforation in the axis of the length of tubing 25 and such perforation is in alignment with the perforation 21 in the member 26. The ring member 28 is adjustably secured to the upper end of the length of tubing 25 by the screw 30 and nut 3i.

Secured to one end of the member 26 and extending downwardly therefrom into the pipe I 6 is a member 32, which has formed integral therewith and at the lower end thereof, trunnions 33. Rotatably mounted on the trunnions 33 is a U- shaped member 34 which normally extends or hangs freely downward as shown in Fig. 1 in position to be free from the ball valve 25 but associated therewith so as to cooperate with the same under certain conditions. Slidably mounted in the perforations in the cross bar 29 and perforation 21 in the member 26 is an operating rod 35, which has secured to its lower end by threads or in any other suitable manner, a T-shaped member 36. The laterally extending bars of the T=shaped member 36 lie under and engage with the legs of the u-shaped member 34.

The upper portion of the hush tank it is per-- forated at a suitable point and through such perforation extends the threaded end of a hearing member 3?. screwing onto the threads of the member W is a nut 38 and by means of which the bearing member N is securely fastened to the wall of the flush tank is.

Rptatably mounted on bearing 31 is a shaft 39 and this shaft 39 extends outwardly through the wall ii a sumcient distance to permit an operating handle so to be secured thereto. At the inner end of the shaft 39 is secured a crank arm 4| and at the outer free end of the crank arm 4| is pivotally attached one end of apair of links 42, the other end of. such links being pivotally attached to the upper end of the operating rod 35.

Because the ball valve 23 is hollow and therefore lighter than water and will float, I find it desirable to provide a cage for the same which will restrict its movement within the flush tank 44. This cage comprises the member 44, the vertical member and the horizontal member 46, all formed together to form a cage and with the upper end of the member 44 secured to the ring member 28 by means of the adjusting screw and nut 30 and 3i respectively.

Assuming the control valve for controlling the flow of fluid to the flush tank M to have been operated and the flush tank M to have a body of water l5 therein sufficient to satisfactorily flush the, defecator l0, and that it is desired to flush such defecator, the operator will, by operating the handle 40, rotate shaft 39 in the bearing 31 in a direction to hit the outer free end of the crank arm Al and therefore lift the operating rod 35. In this lifting movement of the operating rod 35 the T-shaped member 36 carried at the lower end thereof will have its lateral arms engage with the under surface of the U-shaped member 34 and such member will rotate about the trunnions 33 and simultaneously the lower free end of the U-shaped member 34 will force the ball valve 23 off the valve seat 22-.

Immediately the ball valve 23 is off the seat 22 the rush of water from the body of water l5 in flush tank l4 and into pipe IE will prevent the return of the ball valve 23 and therefore said ball valve 23, being lighter than the water, will immediately rise within the cage composed of the members 44, 45 and 46 and will rise to the dot and dash position shown in Fig. 2. The body of water l5 within the flush tank l4, therefore, has a clear passage into the pipe i6 and will flow through such pipe into the defecator ill flushing the same. When the water within the tank l4 lowers sumcie'ntly, the ball valve 23 will be lowered simultaneously therewith and when in proper position with respect to valve 22 the flow of water through aoeaera the pipe it will float the valve 23 onto its seat thereby closing the outlet from the flush tank it. In the meantime the usual filling valve (not shown) will start a flow of water into the flush tank 64 to again build up the body of water-l5 therein.

While I have necessarily shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention somewhat in detail, it is to be understood that I may vary the size, shape and arrangement of parts comprising my invention within relatively wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In an improved flush tank valve, the combination with a tank having an outlet at the lower end and extending laterally of said tank, a valve seat formed at the inner end of the outlet and within the tank, a fioatable ball valve normally seating on the valve seat andpreventing egress of water from the tank through the outlet, a

cage within the tank and in which the ball valve is confined but freely movable within the limits of the cage, a pivoted lever associated with the ball valve, a vertically extending rod slidably mounted in the tank and having its lower end associated with the pivoted lever, and means mounted on said tank and operated to control the vertical movement of the slidable rod to move the ball valve off the valve seat at will, to permit the flow of water from the tank through the outlet.

2. In an improved flush tank valve, the combination with a tank having an outlet extending laterally outward therefrom adjacent the bottom thereof, a valve seat formed at the inner end of the outlet and completely within the tank, a floatable ball valve normally seating on said valve seat and preventing egress of. water from the tank through the outlet, a cage within the tank for limiting the floatable movement of the ball valve within the tank, an overflow pipe within the tank and having its lower end connected to the laterally extending outlet exteriorly of the valve seat, a pivoted lever associated with the ball valve, a vertically extending rod housed within the overflow pipe and having its lower end engaging with the pivoted lever, a lever secured to the inner end of the shaft and having its outer end pivotally attached to the upper end of the vertically extending rod, and an operating lever secured to the outer end of the shaft, whereby the said shaft may be rotated to cause a vertical upward movement of the rod to bring the pivoted lever into engagement with the ball valve and remove the same from the valve seat to permit the flow of water from the tank through the outlet.

WILLIAM C. GROENIGER. 

